Chapter 532: Chapter 532 A Radical Change in Temperament Chapter 532: Chapter 532 A Radical Change in Temperament “Eat, eat, all you know is to eat, without using a bit of your brain.” Old Lady Mo glared with her triangular eyes, extremely dissatisfied with her.
She’d schemed her heart out to have Madam Xie send watermelons daily, not merely for the pleasure of feasting, but also to profit from it.
“Mother-in-law, I haven’t offended you, why are you scolding me again?” Madam Ruan wiped the watermelon juice streaming from her mouth with her sleeve as she raised her arm.
She had just returned from spreading rumors outside, relishing the thought of Xuexue’s tarnished reputation, when Old Lady Mo’s reprimands abruptly dampened her spirits.
“These watermelons, I plan to save them, take them to town to sell, and the silver earned will be set aside for Hengjian. Yet, as soon as you return from outside, you slice open a watermelon to eat. You may not mind, but it pains this old maid.”
Old Lady Mo went through all the trouble of saving watermelons also for her grandson’s sake, so he could have a bit more silver to spend at the Academy.
Madam Ruan, unappreciative and still showing displeasure after being scolded?
Old Lady Mo’s face grew long with discontent; this daughter-in-law had no idea of the pains she took for their benefit.
“Oh! So that’s the plan. Mother-in-law, you should have said so earlier.” Now that Madam Ruan understood that Old Lady Mo had Madam Xie send watermelons daily for the benefit of her son, her face lit up with joy.
“Mother-in-law, rest assured, I won’t eat them tomorrow. We’ll save up more watermelons and then I’ll go with you to town to sell them.”
Only then did Old Lady Mo’s expression soften, “I do all this for Hengjian’s good.”
“Yes, yes, it’s my fault, I failed to appreciate the depth of mother-in-law’s concerns.” Madam Ruan immediately admitted her mistake; she would play the tortoise if it was for her son’s benefit.
“I’ve got four watermelons stored in my room, and with Madam Xie sending a few more in the coming days, we’ll be able to go to town and sell them. That should earn us several taels of silver, enough to cover our family’s living expenses for a month,” Old Lady Mo calculated with her fingers, her face glowing with happiness.
“Why all the trouble? Just have Madam Xie bring a few more watermelons tomorrow, then we can go to town the day after tomorrow to sell them.” Madam Ruan’s eyes darted around as she hatched a devious plan.
Old Lady Mo entertained the thought.
But that girl Xuexue was too formidable, she dared not provoke her.
“What do you understand? Madam Xie brings watermelons daily, Xuexue is none the wiser, but if she were to find out, that would be the end of us. The Mo family would be torn apart,” Old Lady Mo accused, having tricked quite a bit of silver from Madam Xie over time, taking advantage of her weakness and silent suffering.
Thinking of the rumors about Xuexue that now filled the village, Madam Ruan covered her mouth and chuckled, “Mother-in-law, don’t worry, from today on, that wretched girl Xuexue won’t have time to bother with us.”
Old Lady Mo had spent the entire day at home, waiting for Madam Xie to deliver the watermelons and gleefully calculating the potential silver earnings from their sale.
Madam Ruan relayed all the gossip about Xuexue in the village, of course, not foolish enough to inform Old Lady Mo that she herself was the rumor spreader.
“That wretched girl, always staying with that idiot. I’ve seen it coming a long time ago, and now she has, indeed, lost her reputation,” Old Lady Mo disapproved of Xuexue, dramatically changing since the last fever incident where she bit off Auntie Sun’s ear, becoming defiant in every matter.
“Everyone in the village is saying she’s possessed by evil spirits, almost like a ghost has taken over her.”
Old Lady Mo nodded in agreement, “Right, it does seem like it. Before, that girl was timid, never daring to talk back to me. Now, her personality has completely changed, always opposing me, even when it comes to making a fortune, she wants nothing to do with the Mo family.”